


His Final Resting Place

by AK_Qhyrstol



Series: The Lake of Avalon [1]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst, Arthur Pendragon Dies (Merlin), Canon Era, Character Death, Declarations Of Love, M/M, Pre-Slash, but only for 1500 years
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:29:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27622739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AK_Qhyrstol/pseuds/AK_Qhyrstol
Summary: Arthur Pendragon dies, but he has one last confession to make to the man he loves, and the most important one at that.(The Lake of Avalon: 1 (here),2, 3 (tbd).)
Relationships: Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: The Lake of Avalon [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2019596
Comments: 2
Kudos: 28





	His Final Resting Place

**Author's Note:**

> This will (eventually) be the beginning of two related series: In the Lake of Avalon (the first one) & A_PENDRAGON aka The Queer Knight (the second one). 
> 
> In the Lake of Avalon is about Arthur's time in the Lake, meeting his family and also dealing with the Sidhe because they're... small issues. 
> 
> A_PENDRAGON aka The Queer Knight is about Arthur's return to Albion and will be formatted a bit differently (as I'm appalled at the lack of mixed media fics in the Merlin fandom), but I'm only going to start posting that after I finish writing In the Lake of Avalon.

“It’s too late,” Arthur whispered, just loud enough for Merlin to hear. Merlin shook his head, not wanting to believe it, trying to get him to stand and walk again. Arthur could do something as simple as that, couldn’t he? Apparently not anymore. 

“It’s not too late, it’s not-” Merlin chanted, his shoulders shaking from the sorrow he held trapped in his chest. Arthur wanted to reach out and rest his hand on Merlin’s shoulder consolingly, but he needed to save his strength. 

“Just- Just hold me. Please.” Arthur grunted, feeling the strength leave him. Merlin scrambled to grab him as Arthur couldn't hold himself upright any longer and fell backwards into Merlin's arms.

He once feared his death, wanting to see so many things, not wanting to let go of his throne for fear of the corrupt and the merciless, the vengeful and the bloodthirsty, but now that it was happening, everything seemed clearer. A mortal life was truly short; he could see the light at the end of the tunnel crawling nearer as the seconds ticked by. There was just one last thing he needed to say before he left Merlin. He wished he could have found the strength within to say it before, but it would seem that now was the only time he could express how he felt.

Merlin clutched Arthur’s weak body to his chest, his chest heaving with unreleased sobs.

“Merlin-” Arthur winced when a new throb of pain raced through his abdomen- “Merlin, there’s… something I want to say.”

“You’re not going to say goodbye!” Merlin cried, attempting to drag him to their destination himself. With Arthur’s chainmail and armour, there was no hope beyond the few inches they managed to make across the grass.

“No,” Arthur shook his head softly. No, he would not say goodbye. They would meet again someday, in some other time. Perhaps as different people, but they would find each other all the same. He was sure of it. Life without Merlin was dull, the days mixing together in one incoherent mess until Merlin returned from… from somewhere. It wasn’t the tavern, was it? Merlin was hopeless at holding his drink. The thought made a pained chuckle escape him, wincing as his side twitched, his wound stretching as more blood decided to ooze out. 

Merlin was holding his breath, looking down at Arthur with teary yet determined eyes. But there was an inkling of defeat, revealing that Merlin knew what must happen. And he couldn't stop it. Neither of them could. What would Merlin say? ‘It was their fate’ or some other wise nonsense that would surface occasionally. But Merlin wasn’t an idiot. Well, maybe a smart idiot, if that was possible. 

Arthur hated to see him so upset, but he had to do one last thing. Even if it took his final breath from him. His speech slurred, his usual precise consonants bleeding together as he attempted to save all his energy- for this, only for this. That’s all he needed to die happily. 

“Merlin,” Arthur inhaled deeply, trying to fight through the dark spots in his vision, “Everything you’ve done… I know now. For me. For Camelot. The kingdom… you helped me build.”

“You could’ve done it without me.” 

“... Maybe.” Arthur joked, but it fell flat. “I want to say… something to y- you… that I’ve never said to you before. You are… the bravest, wisest, most loyal man I have ever known-”

Merlin sobbed, “Arthur-”

“Merlin.” Arthur interrupted calmly. Merlin went silent, shaking as he waited for him to carry on. “And I want you to know…”

Merlin blinked and a tear fell from his eye, right onto Arthur’s cheek.

“... I love you.” Arthur meant to add more, but he could only force out those last three words. He strained to reach up and stroke Merlin’s hair, holding Merlin’s head still, just so the last thing he would see would be Merlin’s face and the eyes that he has come to adore so much. Even when his eyes were flooded with tears, he was the most beautiful person Arthur had ever seen.

“Stay with me,” Merlin pleaded, cradling his head as more tears spilled from his eyes. 

And then Arthur’s lungs refused to move any longer. 

* * *

The roaring cry that seemed to explode from Merlin was deafening and unfamiliar, in a language Arthur had not often heard. To hear Merlin speak in such a strange tongue was odd, which became all the odder a few minutes later when he realised they were flying, the wind cutting sharply against his cold flesh.

He could vaguely hear Merlin’s cries as he placed him in the boat, but it seemed to be drowned out. The rest of his body had shut down, leaving his brain left to think in his final moments.

He yearned to comfort Merlin, but there was nothing he could do other than lie helplessly and wait for death to take him. Merlin wouldn’t do anything stupid while he was gone, would he? Hopefully, Guinevere would be able to help him. 

He knew he should feel guilty for not thinking of his wife until this moment, but Arthur was confident that she would understand. He truly loved her and she had a special place in his heart, but she deserved better than him. Someone she didn’t have to worry about as often, someone to love her with his whole heart rather than being as divided like Arthur. But Guinevere would understand; she always understood, even when the words escaped him and he struggled to express how he was really feeling. 

On another note, Merlin had chosen a strange location for a final resting place - a lake far from civilization, if the gentle splashing against the boat and the incredibly quiet sound of solitude was anything to go by. But it was a peaceful place and that was all Arthur truly wanted; no more fighting, just the same tranquillity that one got from sitting in front of a fire or watching the sunrise.

As his heart beated its last, the remains of Arthur Pendragon drifted. _Until the next life, Merlin,_ Arthur thought wistfully. _Until we find each other again._


End file.
